New Life Daily

There is an ancient Hebrew form of prayer called the berakah, or Prayer of Blessing. The berakah combines both prayer and worship, capturing our desire to praise God and our need for God in our lives.

There are many Prayers of Blessing in the Bible. A very simple yet powerful one is found in Ephesians 1:3, which states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord.” Many are found in the Psalms, such as, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things” (Psalm 72:18).

Besides praying these existing biblical Prayers of Blessing, you may want to compose your own as a form of prayer and worship. Notice that they all begin with the phrase “Blessed be the Lord.” Then add a statement about God, who He is or what He has done, maybe for you personally. Finally, you may want to end with a request. An example would be this: “Blessed be the Lord, who in His healing power can calm a chaotic world. Grant me peace of mind.”

Spend a few minutes today writing a Prayer of Blessing and praying it out loud, either by yourself or with others. Be sure to keep the focus on praising God, with an expanded focus on His attributes.

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Tim Renner

Tim and his wife, Dee, are long-time members at Venture. Tim teaches in one of Venture’s Sunday morning Bible studies and also serves in the Bread of Life Pantry. Professionally, he is an environmental engineer...semi-retired! Hobbies: road biking and stimulating conversation. Favorite book: The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. Favorite food: thin crust margherita pizza. Useless skill: playing drums with an average skill level... because average drummers are a dime a dozen!